British Open leaderboard

Italian Matteo Manassero was outright second with a 67 while Marc Leishman was the next best of an eight-strong Australian contingent, carding a solid 3-under 69 to be tied ninth.

Tiger Woods had the same score as Leishman to make an encouraging return in his first major championship since having back surgery in March.

John Senden (71), Matt Jones (71) and rank outsider Rhein Gibson (21) were the other Australians to break par, while Jason Day had a 1-over 73.

Worryingly, Day sought immediate medical treatment following his round over the thumb injury that has troubled him in recent weeks.

I positioned it off the tee really nice today. I can't say it could have been better, but it could have been.

Adam Scott

It was a day to forget for 23-year-old Australian Bryden Macpherson, a former British amateur champion, who started with a nightmare eighteen-over-par 90, the tournament's worst opening round in 15 years.

Scott is out to make amends after wasting chances from winnable positions in recent years - including a spectacular meltdown at Royal Lytham in 2012 - and he gave every indication he will again be challenging for the title come Sunday.

His round featured an eagle and four birdies but he also made a string of gutsy saves on the front nine.

After missing a five-footer for birdie on the first, the Queenslander picked up his first shot with a long-range effort on the fourth, backing it up with a 30-footer for eagle at the par-5 fifth.

His back nine was more patchy, dropping shots at 12 and 14, while he escaped with a par on the 18th after a wayward performance which featured two free drops.

"It was tougher this afternoon for sure, the wind picked up a bit," Scott said.

"I positioned it off the tee really nice today. I can't say it could have been better, but it could have been.

Leishman in the mix

Leishman, playing in the fourth group of the day, made birdies on three of the historic course's four par 5s, with a bogey on the par-4 12th the only blemish on his card.

"It was definitely in my mind that I needed to take advantage of the benign conditions," said Leishman.

Jones also made an encouraging start, recovering superbly after making back-to-back double bogeys early in his round.

He birdied the first three holes on the back nine and finished with an eagle on the par-5 18th, chipping in from the bunker to cap a tremendous fightback.

It was definitely in my mind that I needed to take advantage of the benign conditions.

Mark Lieshman

"It was a tough start but I've been hitting it well this week and I knew if I kept going I could get it back," said Jones.

Gibson, ranked 998th in the world, defied expectations to give himself a great chance of making the cut in his first major championships appearance.

Brett Rumford (75) has his work cut out to reach the weekend while Macpherson was putting on a brave face after a round of 90 that was reminiscent of compatriot Ian Baker-Finch's meltdown at Royal Troon in 1997.

"I think my swing is somewhere on the ninth tee," Macpherson said.

"I know I'm better than that and I'll try to use today in a positive way."

Woods and McIlroy fire up early

Woods, playing in only his third competitive round since undergoing back surgery in March, confounded the critics who wrote off his chances by shooting a 69.

The 14-times major winner made a poor start by bogeying the first two holes but it was almost vintage Tiger on the back nine as he went storming through the field with five birdies in six holes from the 11th.

The former world number one, sporting grey slacks and a white shirt with blue/grey flecks down the front, got his round going when he holed out from off the green at the 11th.

Woods then rattled in birdies at the 12th and 13th before dropping a stroke at the 14th following a hook off the tee into thick rough.

We had perfect scoring conditions out there this morning. There were plenty of opportunities to make birdies and I was able to take a few of them.

Rory McIlroy

The 38-year-old American bounced straight back by sinking a 12-footer at the next hole. A delicate chip to 12 inches from the cup at the 16th gave him another birdie before a long-range effort lipped out on 17.

It was McIlroy, though, who took the tournament by the scruff of the neck with some scintillating shot-making.

Taking advantage of benign scoring conditions on a flat course with few undulations, the twice major winner peppered the flag on the front nine.

McIlroy almost holed out with his second shot at the par-four second before converting putts of six and 14 feet for further birdies at the fifth and sixth.

The 25-year-old made more inroads on par at the 10th and 12th before enjoying an outrageous moment of good fortune at the 14th when he avoided trouble in the rough with a lucky bounce on to the fairway.

McIlroy did not drop a shot to par all day and a sixth and final birdie at the 16th took him to the top of the leaderboard.

"We had perfect scoring conditions out there this morning," said the world number eight. "There wasn't much wind.

"It started to pick up a little on the back nine but there were plenty of opportunities to make birdies and I was able to take a few of them."